Aug 22, 2011

31 Days, 31 Ways: State Slashes Funding for Residency Programs

Lawmakers slash funding for residency programs in Texas, possibly forcing recent medical school graduates to train out of state. Watch the Tribune's interview with Dr. Bruce Malone, president of the Texas Medical Association, about the impact of these cuts on the state's ability to maintain an adequate physician training pipeline. He warns the effect on patient care will not be seen immediately and cannot be fixed later with an influx of cash.

"There is a long queue for that training, so if you cut the people at the beginning of the training process, there's no way you can make them up quickly," Malone said.